[mythtv-users] Why the need for playback settings

[Robert]

Steve Peters - Priority Electronics wrote:
>> * On Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 10:44:02AM -0700, Steve Peters - 
>> Priority Electronics wrote:
>>> Not really, I was saying that in linux, there is no one size 
>> fits all, you
>>> have to tinker a bit to get the right settings. But in 
>> windows, it is one
>>> size fits all.
>> I think a lot of people would beg to differ about 'one size 
>> fitting all'
>> under Windows.
>>
>>>  I was wondering, why does windows (and all commercial set top
>>> box products) get it right without any tinkering, but in 
>> linux, you really
>>> have to tinker?
>> When was the last time that your cable company let you use your own
>> hardware as a STB?  Did you use an ATI or an NVidia card in that?
>> Did you connect it via HDMI, DVI, Component, VGA, S-Video, or 
>> Composite?
>> How about the audio, was that analog stereo, analog 5.1 or up, 
>> or was it
>> digital audio via an RCA jack or optical connector?  What kind 
>> of remote
>> control did you use with that?  Did you build your own serial receiver,
>> use one of the pre-built ones, or use a USB receiver?  What UI 
>> theme did
>> you use on it, how about the menu theme?
>>
>> Asking why you can (and have to) customize things on a home-built Linux
>> box when you don't have to on a pre-built STB doesn't make a bit of
>> sense at all.
>>
>> --
>> Chris
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>>
> 
> Point taken on the set top box part...but what about the windows part? I
> have a dual boot laptop with windows and ubuntu...to get the svideo port and
> myth working on my tv with that laptop requires a few settings
> modifications. Not major disecting, but far beyond the avg user's skills. On
> windows, you just plug in the s-video cable and it works out of the box on
> my tv. I guess, that's more my question...since there is no config required
> on windows, (using the same exact hardware), why do we need to configure it
> on linux?
> -Steve

Microsoft has rather a lot of full time dedicated developers and teams 
to work on individual bits and pieces like this.  Also I'd guess they 
have access to pretty much any hardware they want to buy with their 
multi-million-dollar budgets.  On top of that, I'd imaging most hardware 
manufacturers will also go out of their way to make their product work 
with Windows (who would buy some hardware that didn't work on Windows! [*])

Contrast this to the Linux community of part-time volunteers working 
with whatever hardware they can get their hands on, and in most cases 
without the support of the hardware manufacturers.

It's all about resources.  I think Linux is amazing for something that 
is totally free!

[*] obviously I mean the common-user here - I'm sure there are many bits 
of hardware that don't work on windows - indeed I hear there are a lot 
that don't work on Vista ;-)


Robert.